Another mysterious figure in a black cloak?
Upon hearing this, Sun Fei was instinctively startled.
The image of the mysterious figure described by the divine master Mazzola instantly reminded Sun Fei of the four-star wood-elemental mage Evans. After all, Evans, the four-star mage whom Sun Fei had previously murdered, was also dressed in a black cloak. Could there be a connection between the two? Could this newly appeared mysterious figure be an accomplice of Evans?
Sun Fei could only pray silently that the newly appeared man in the black cloak had nothing to do with Evans. Otherwise, it would mean that there were likely other people who knew about the map of the God and Demon Ruins, which would be a huge problem, far more serious than when he killed the fourth-level Prince of the Sander Empire with One Sword.
"Tell me the details of what happened again, in perfect detail..." Sun Fei's eyes flashed like lightning as he stared directly at [the bald, Bald Rattlesnake legs] Mazzola, brooking no argument, and said, "Nothing can be left out, otherwise... you know the consequences."
"Yes, yes, I would never dare to hide anything from you, sir."
Mazzola nodded repeatedly, bowing and smiling obsequiously, and recounted the whole story in detail.
It turned out that he and Luciano had been hiding in Saint Petersburg for a while, but after hearing that the Black Armor Army had retreated, they immediately set off back to Chambord City. After all, in Chambord City, they were still considered local tyrants, able to do whatever they wanted, but in Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Zenit Empire, they were just insignificant eunuchs to the emperor.
However, on their way back, they were stopped by a mysterious figure in a black cloak who suddenly appeared. The figure displayed extraordinary strength, which even the two, a three-star divine master and a three-star knight, could not withstand. Fortunately, the figure did not harbor any hostility. Instead, he revealed a very important piece of information to Mazzola: during the battle on the stone bridge in Chambord City, a faint Undead Magic had appeared.
The word 'weak' from the man in the black cloak caught the eye of Mazzola and Luciano. Undead Magic was something the Holy Church could not tolerate. If they could find out the cause and capture the Undead Magic with weak divine power, it would be a great achievement, and their status in the Holy Church might rise another step.
As for the indiscriminate arrests after entering the city, this was actually a pretext used by Mazzola. On the one hand, it was to amass wealth, and on the other hand, they knew that their failure to assist in the defense of the city during the Black Armor Army's siege, and their subsequent escape under false Luciano, would inevitably lead to the Holy Church losing all prestige in Chambord City. Therefore, they wanted to rebuild their authority.
However, having acted arrogantly for too long, even with the cunning of [two Bald Rattlesnake ], instead of adopting a conciliatory approach, they resorted to the wrong method that only exacerbated the conflict.
"So, neither of you knows the identity of that mysterious man in the black cloak? You haven't even seen his true face?" Sun Fei asked, frowning, after hearing Rattlesnake Mazzola's honest explanation.
"Yes, Your Excellency, that mysterious man is very strong, at least a four-star mage. Luciano and I did initially intend to capture him for interrogation, but neither of us were his match..." Mazzola said, looking a little embarrassed. The bearded knight leader, Luciano, nodded repeatedly beside him.
Sun Fei lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
Another mysterious Four-Star Class black-cloaked mage, whose background seemed to have some connection to Evans, who had died in the Iron Prison Dungeon. This made Sun Fei secretly alarmed, as if he had stirred up a hornet's nest... However, he also had a vague feeling that he had overlooked something, or rather, overlooked someone.
Sun Fei used two skills in [ Necromancer Mode ] – [Fang] and [ Corpse Explosion ] – and completed them in less than three or four seconds. After the stone bridge collapsed, all the evidence sank into the Zuli River, and theoretically, no one should have discovered it unless a master had been secretly observing the battle on the bridge. If that were the case, then the mysterious man in black mentioned by Mazzola should have been present. However, another problem arises: if he had indeed been there, seeing his accomplice Evans captured, he certainly wouldn't have stood idly by. With his Four-Star Class strength, he could have easily turned the tide... In other words, this mysterious man in black might not actually be Evans's accomplice.
But who could he be?
"You may all step back."
Sun Fei racked his brains but couldn't come up with a solution. He waved to dismiss Mazzola and Luciano, then added, "That's it for now regarding Undead Magic. Don't investigate further. The stakes involved are beyond your comprehension. I will handle this personally. If you investigate further and alert them, ruining my plans, His Holiness the Pope will be furious. Two seats will be prepared for you two at the stake on Ten Thousand Streams Peak."
Sun Fei was simply using this as an excuse to deceive everyone.
Since Mazzola and Luciano had mistakenly believed he was from a powerful figure, Sun Fei Sun Fei to openly flaunt his connections. His original plan was to eliminate them secretly, but given the current situation, keeping Mazzola and Luciano alive might prove useful in the future.
Upon hearing Sun Fei's words, a glint of insight flashed in Mazzola's eyes, revealing an expression of certainty. He quickly nodded and bowed, assuring him, "My lord, please rest assured, Luciano and I will absolutely not get involved in this matter in the slightest... If you have any orders in the future, please feel free to give them. The Chambord City Church is willing to serve you to the death."
"Hmm, you two are quite good. I'll credit you for discovering the traces of Undead Magic for now. Once this matter is resolved and I finish my training, I'll naturally reward you both when I return to the Holy Mountain Ten Thousand Streams Peak." Sun Fei gave a few words of encouragement and then offered a sweet treat. To make it seem more convincing, he directly referred to himself as "this one."
Mazzola and Luciano were overjoyed upon hearing this, feeling that their future was bright. They kowtowed repeatedly, humbly knelt down and kissed Sun Fei's boots, before happily leaving the King palace.
Sun Fei returned to the throne and thought for a moment. The identity of the man in the black cloak was too mysterious, and there was no clue at all. So he simply stopped thinking about it and ordered someone to summon the prison warden Mazzola, to the hall. He whispered a few instructions to him.
After returning to the church, Mazzola and Luciano dismissed their entourage and quietly went to a secret room in the back courtyard of the Church Hall.
This is where Mazzola and Luciano discussed important matters.
"Master Mazzola, are you really sure that this former foolish King Alexander is the one from headquarters?" The bearded knight leader, heartbroken over the magic stones and scrolls he had given away, asked with a frown. The decision to send gifts to Alexander was actually Mazzola's, and Luciano was still finding it hard to accept Mazzola's assessment.
"Well... I'm not 100% sure either."
Back in the church, Mazzola the Rattlesnake once again displayed an arrogant and condescending demeanor. He stood with his back to the statue of the Father God in the secret chamber, where countless candles flickered and swayed. Mazzola drew a Holy Cross before turning and solemnly said, "However, do not forget that the double golden [ Battle Aura ] that Alexander unleashed today are undeniable. You can probably sense the terrifying Holy Power contained within those two golden Battle Aura. Even His Holiness Pope Zenit of Sergiyeli may not possess such pure and unadulterated Holy Power."
"That's true, but as you and I both know, according to the information we had before, Alexander was born a simpleton, and he's been a simpleton for almost seventeen years. How could he be [ God's Favored One ]?"
Luciano was still a little uncertain.
"That's precisely where my suspicions lie... However, the former top paladin of the Holy See's Order of Judgment, Lord Gacharin, was considered a fool before he rose to fame due to his amputation and taciturn nature. And what about the current Martial Saint, Lord Maradona, whom even His Holiness the Pope treats with deference? His actions over the years have been nothing short of madness. In the vast and mysterious continent of Azeroth, there are far too many such examples. Perhaps Alexander was merely feigning madness all along..."
At this point, a rare look of fear flashed in Mazzola's eyes as he slowly continued, "Old friend, I suddenly have a terrible premonition. It seems that Chambord City holds secrets we don't know about, and we may have gotten involved in something we shouldn't be aware of... It's possible that Alexander really is, as he himself said, secretly investigating something on the Pope's orders."
After Mazzola finished speaking, a fleeting glint of cold light flashed in his eyes, and his whole demeanor became incredibly sinister.
"So after all this talk, you're not entirely sure about Alexander's true identity either?" The bearded knight leader was getting impatient. "Why don't we observe him for a while before making a decision? You just had to rush over to deliver the gifts. What a waste of that box of precious magic stones and those magic scrolls, including a mysterious black scroll that could very well be a forbidden spell scroll that's extremely rare."
"You're mistaken. Opportunities are rare and fleeting; once missed, you'll regret it."
This is the first update today; two more updates to come.
The train was delayed last night, and it drizzled a little in Handan. It was hard to get a taxi outside the station, and I didn't get home until midnight, so I didn't have time to update.
Starting today, Daozi 'll be writing like crazy.
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